Windows 8 is in high demand among PC users. But not everyone knows how to open the registry editor. There are several simple and effective ways to start editing it.

detailed instructions

Option 1

A quick command from the Win + R key combination will open the Run window.

We write the regedit command there and confirm the action with OK.

Option 2

We call the Task Manager with the well-known combination Ctrl + Alt + Del.

At the end of the procedure, we enter the already familiar regedit request and confirm the action.

Option 3

If you hold the mouse cursor on the right side of the screen, the so-called Shutter will drop out, which we need. On it we are looking for the line Search.

Under the Applications item is the Search line, where we write the word regedit.

It remains only to activate the application.

Option 4

In the upper right corner of the My Computer window is the Search line, which we need. There you need to write the regedit command.

Among several shortcuts, you need to select the one that is saved in the C:\Windows directory.

Option 5

Go back to My Computer and open the C drive.

Among the abundance of shortcuts, you need to find regedit with the Application type. Open it by double clicking.

These methods are available in order to visually see how to start the registry. Also, this instruction is suitable for Windows 8.1. Each option only takes a few minutes.

In my articles, tips, and notes, I often refer the reader to the Windows Registry Editor. Many of them involve intensive work with registry keys and values. I suddenly realized that not all of my readers got their hands on working with this program, and some of them had never launched the Registry Editor at all. Therefore, I decided to write a small guide to this program.

Table of contents:

What is Registry Editor

The Registry Editor was historically created as a tool for users who need to change Windows settings that don't appear in the user interface. The main function of this program is to view and change settings in the system registry, that is, in a set of special binary files that contain information about both the Windows configuration and almost all the programs that are installed on your computer. Windows OS and many programs (with the exception of those that are so-called "portable", portable, in other words - do not require installation) store their settings in the registry.

How to start the Registry Editor

Method 1
Regardless of the version of Windows installed on your computer, this method will work:

Method 2
The Registry Editor executable is located in C:\Windows, which means that you can open this folder in Explorer and run the regedit.exe file with a mouse click.

Alternatively, you can create a shortcut to Regedit.exe and place it in the start menu/list Windows applications 8.x, to a folder

%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

This will make the Registry Editor visible in Windows search results and will also allow you to launch the application with a single click.

General view of the Registry Editor

The registry editor looks like this:

As you can see in the picture above, it consists of two panels:

• the left one displays a hierarchical representation of the data structure, it is called sections (or keys);
• the right panel displays options. They are pairs name = data and are stored inside the keys.

What does Registry Editor show?

As I mentioned above, the editor shows us sections and options.

Sections are a virtual representation of data from several files that form registry database. You can see exactly which files represent the registry on your computer if you go to this section:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\hivelist

Here you can find a list of files on your hard drive that store registry data. The data inside them, as mentioned above, has a hierarchical structure, and the registry editor shows them in the form of a "tree". The roots of the tree (master keys) in the general case represent a specific file, to the data of which access is granted.

However, there are also virtual keys that appear in the registry editor as ordinary files, but in reality are a representation of several files or even separate registry branches. They usually exist for backward compatibility. For example, HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG is a virtual view, HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is also a virtual view that combines the current user's registry keys and system keys.

Please note that some registry files do not appear in the Registry Editor window. For example, you will never see what is stored inside a SAM (Security Accounts Manager) file. In the registry editor, it is represented by the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM\SAM branch and is supposedly empty there. This is done for security reasons.

Registry settings used by Windows and many third-party applications to store various configuration settings and some user data. Parameter values ​​are various types, but in general these are text values/strings, numerical values or binary values.

How to create a new registry key

To create a new key, right-click on the parent partition in the left pane and select Create -> Section from the context menu.

You must give the newly created section a name according to the requirements of the program for which you are creating it.

How to create a new setting

To create a new parameter, you must right-click

• on the current section on the left
  or
• in the empty space in the right pane.

Select the appropriate type for the new parameter and enter its name. Double click on the parameter name to set its value.

How to become the owner of a section and get full access to it

Just as the concepts of "permissions" and "ownership" apply to files and folders in a file NTFS system, they also exist for registry keys. From the era of Windows Vista to the present day, most registry keys that store OS settings are protected by access control so that they cannot be easily removed or changed by the user. Sometimes you may need to change the data in such partitions, and for this you need to be able to change the owner of the partition and gain full access to it. To do this is quite simple.

How to restore TrustedInstaller as partition owner

Almost all system registry keys in Windows Vista, 7 and 8 have the TrustedInstaller account as their owner. After editing the permissions on a partition, you need to reclaim ownership of that partition. account otherwise, the operating system may not work properly. To restore the TrustedInstaller property in Windows Vista, 7 and 8, type NT Service\TrustedInstaller in the "Enter the names of the objects to select" box. Click OK.

How to change permissions on a registry key

After changing the owner of a registry key, you almost always have to change the access rights, without this you will not be able to change the parameter values. To do this, you must switch to the Permissions tab in the Advanced Security Options dialog box.

Subsections may have so-called inherited permissions from its parent section. Alternatively, subkeys can also have explicit permissions other than the parent key.

In the first case, that is, if the permissions are inherited from the parent key, you must disable inheritance and copy the parent partition's permissions to the current key in order to be able to change them. To do this in Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP, uncheck "Add permissions inherited from parent objects" and click the "Add" button in the confirmation dialog box.

After disabling inheritance, select the appropriate user account and click Change to change access rights.

Windows 8 has a dedicated button to disable inheritance:

Permissions can be set in two ways: after disabling inheritance, you can set them only on the current partition, or you can set permissions on the current key and then apply them to all of its subkeys. To do this, check the box Replace all permission entries of a child object with those inherited from this object. This action will push the permissions you set down the key hierarchy for all subkeys.

Registry Editor command line switches

Jump to the desired registry key with one click

Option number 1

Some time ago, I created a RegOwnershipEx utility that allows you to get full access to a registry key with one click. In addition, it allows you to go to the desired registry key. I recommend that you take a look at it.

RegOwnershipEx allows the following:

• become the owner and get full access to the selected registry key. There is a registry browser window for easy key selection.
• favorites - for quick access to your favorite registry keys. It is integrated with the "Favorites" menu of the Registry Editor.
• restore the permissions and ownership that you changed earlier. those. The program allows you to return the rights to their original state.
• function "open in regedit" - you can open the selected key in the registry editor. This is a very handy option to quickly navigate to a section by simply copying its name.
• shortcuts for root partitions - you can use HKCU instead of HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKLM instead of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, and so on.
• getting the registry path from the windows clipboard.
• command line argument "/j" to extract the path to the registry key from the Windows clipboard and quickly switch to the registry editor.

It's all damn convenient!

Option 2

I wrote a simple script that will get the contents of the clipboard, write it to the registry and open the registry editor. The following scenario is assumed: You are reading an article, it says - "go to the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion". You highlight the path to the section, press CTRL+C and run the script. Registry Editor opens in the right place. .

When I hear the phrase Windows registry, I imagine the icon of the regedit.exe program - a semi-disassembled green cube consisting of smaller cubes. What exactly is a registry? I think many Windows users heard about it, but not many have seen and understand what kind of a miracle it is.

The Windows 8 registry is a database containing settings operating system and programs. So, the registry is a database. Like any other database, the registry is stored in files on the hard drive. There are several registry files, the main part is located in the C:\Windows\System32\config folder (%windir%\system32\config). If you look into this folder, then all the files opposite which the “File” type is indicated will be the same registry files.

Another place where registry files are stored is in the root folder of user profiles and along the path C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows (%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows). Each profile has its own registry files, since each account uses its own unique hive (section) of the Windows registry, because the settings for all profiles are unique. To open your profile, press the key combination WIN + R, in the window that appears, type %userprofile% and click OK. These files will probably be hidden from you, you need to enable the display of hidden and system files to see them. In the screenshot below, you can see that the registry file is NTUSER.DAT, the rest are logs needed to recover from an unexpected crash.

What do we have at the moment? The Windows 8 registry is stored in files scattered across folders. In order to view or edit some settings of the operating system or programs, you can use the regedit.exe program. It is stored in the C:\Windows folder, but you can run it by pressing WIN+R and typing regedit. In general, Microsoft does not recommend making changes to Windows settings directly through the registry, but using the existing user interface of the operating system. If you run regedit, then I recommend that you do not make any changes, but only familiarize yourself with the structure of the database.

Since all Windows settings are stored in the registry, in the absence of that same user interface (which is typical for stripped-down Windows versions like Windows 7 Starter), many settings can be changed through the registry. For example, you can use regedit to change the desktop background by specifying your path to the image file, although this cannot be done through the Control Panel.

That's all I would like to tell.

Windows Registry is a hierarchical database that stores all the settings of the Windows operating system. The registry contains settings for computer software and hardware, information about user profiles, security policies, lists of installed software, and other system information.

We will not go into details of the structure, content and work with the registry, as this is a topic for a separate article. Consider only ways to enter the registry editor (running regedit.exe).

Warning! All actions with the registry must be deliberate, do not make changes if you are not sure of their result. You must be clear about what you are doing, as even minor changes to the settings can disrupt the operation of the operating system.

1. Opening the Windows Registry Editor through the Run utility

utility Run can run different ways. The fastest: press a key combination on the keyboard Win+R. In Windows 7, you can use the menu Start -> Run. In the window that opens, type and press OK (or enter on your keyboard).

2. Open via Windows Explorer

Another easy way is to run through Windows Explorer. To do this, just open My computer and go to the following path: C:\Windows. In this folder, find and run the file . Ready.

3. Launching the Registry Editor via Windows Search

In Windows 7 with a standard desktop, you can open the Start menu and type in the search bar at the bottom. The operating system quickly found the necessary file, which will need to be opened.

Open Start

And enter regedit

In Windows 8, the registry editor can be opened through the search in the same way, only this OS uses a "tiled" interface instead of the standard Start.

Select search in the right menu

The Windows registry is a repository for all operating system settings on which the correct and correct operation of all software depends. All changes made are saved in it, and often, to solve many problems or to fight viruses, you need to manually find the desired parameter and change the settings in it.

It should be remembered that all changes made can drastically affect the further operation of your computer, and therefore they should be done only when you are confident in your actions.

To enter the registry to change Windows settings, you need to open a window with a tree of its directories. There are two options here, the first is to click "Start" - "Run" or the second, the key combination "Win + R". A small command line window will open on the screen, in it you need to register the following command - “regedit”. Then press Enter or OK.

Next, a registry will open in front of you, or rather a window in which you can search for software and system support and carry out, if necessary, changes in the settings of its work.

Let's start with the latest Windows 10, and consider two options for accessing the registry.
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 1 for Windows 10

Click the "Start" button with the left mouse button (or the "Windows" key on the keyboard);
When the Start menu opens, type "regedit" (without quotes) on your keyboard;
At the top of the search menu, under the inscription "Best match", the item "REGEDIT - Run command" will appear, click on this item with the left mouse button;

If a confirmation window for starting the registry editor appears, click "Yes";
You will see the "Registry Editor" window, in which you can make changes to the registry itself.
How to open the registry in Windows 10

Launching the Registry Editor - Method 2 for Windows 10

Click the Start button with the right mouse button (or the keyboard shortcut Win + X);
In the menu that appears, select the "Run" item (these two steps can be replaced with one Win + R key combination);
In the Run window that appears, type "regedit" (without quotes) and click the "OK" button;
In the launch confirmation window, click "Yes";
The "Registry Editor" window will appear, and you can proceed to make changes.
You can clearly see how to enter the Windows 10 registry in this video:

How to open the registry in Windows 8/8.1

To launch the registry editor in Windows 8, you need to follow the same steps as in Windows 10, if you have version 8 and not 8.1, then you don’t have a Start button, so in the first step of the first method, press the Windows key and then follow the instructions above.
Detailed video instruction on how to enter the Windows 8 (8.1) Registry Editor:

How to open the registry in Windows 7

To open the Registry Editor in Windows 7, you need to follow similar steps:
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 1 for Windows 7

Type the command "regedit" (without quotes);
Click at the top of the menu, under the inscription "Programs" on the inscription "regedit";
Select “Yes” to the prompt to confirm the launch.
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 2 for Windows 7

Press the key combination Win + R on the keyboard (hold down Windows key and, without releasing it, press the R key);
In the "Run" window, type the command "regedit" (without quotes) and click the "OK" button;
Confirm the launch of the registry editor with the "Yes" button.
Both ways to enter the Windows 7 registry editor can be seen in this video:

How to open the registry in Windows XP

In Windows XP, opening the Registry Editor is slightly different:
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 1 for Windows XP

Click on "Start" with the left mouse button;
In the right column, find the item "Run" (both steps can be replaced with a combination of Win + R)
In the "Start the program" window, write the command "regedit" (without quotes) and click the "OK" button;
Opening the registry in XP

Launching the Registry Editor - Method 2 for Windows XP (and not only)

Open File Explorer (you can use the keyboard shortcut Win + X);
Go to drive "C:";
Open the Windows folder;
Find the "regedit" file and run it.
And, of course, a video version of opening the registry editor in Windows XP:

The second method is suitable for all listed versions of Windows. Moreover, you can cheat a little:
Once you get to the "regedit" file, you can create a shortcut on your desktop and make it much easier to access the Registry Editor in the future.

Launching the editor There are at least 4 ways to invoke this utility:

Through the Explorer.

Search

Through the Run service. command line. It is not necessary to describe them all, since some require a certain level knowledge and skills, but it would be inappropriate not to mention them. So let's get started.

Through Explorer

Open "My Computer", go to the system drive (often it is C) and in the search bar enter: regedit. After some time, which the machine needs to search, the same editor will be offered in the main part of the window. It remains only to open it and begin to perform the required actions. to content.

Through search

We move the mouse cursor to the right panel, where we select "Search" and set the same command as in the previous paragraph: regedit. Then double-click to activate the application itself. The utility itself looks like this: READ ALSO What is a virtual machine for Windows 8 and how to run it.

Through the "Run" command

This option involves calling an intermediate component. We use the + [R] combination on the keyboard, after which we enter the already familiar Regedit.exe or without the “.exe” extension into the field and press .
1. Launching the registry editor using the "Run" utility.

I will not tire of repeating that the Run utility is one of the most convenient in Windows, with it you can easily and quickly launch the vast majority of system Windows utilities. In this case, this is done in two three steps:

1. Hold down the Win + R keys
2. We write in the opened command regedit
We write in the opened command regedit
3. Click the OK button. Everything, the registry editor is running.

2. Using the search in the start menu

Here the complexity depends on the operating system, so in Windows 10 the search is right on the taskbar, just write regedit and open the search result.

In Windows 7, you need to open the Start menu and enter the same request at the bottom of it.

In Windows 8.x, open the start menu and click on the magnifying glass in the upper right corner.

And then we enter search query. And launch the registry editor.

3. Using Windows Explorer

There is also nothing complicated here, open the explorer and go to the folder.

Scroll down and look for the regedit.exe file with your eyes. When found - we launch.

Using Task Manager
Here the principle is the same as in the first method, but more actions need to be done. We launch the "Task Manager". For example, right-click on the taskbar. And select "File" → "Run a new task".

In the window that opens, enter regedit and click OK.

5. Using the command line
How to run command line we already know, in our context, the easiest way would be to use the method through the context menu of the Start corner. And in the window that opens, enter regedit

The result of any of the five methods will be the launch of the Windows Registry Editor window.